The Zombies: Hung Up On A Dream Tour Concludes In Los Angeles

Colin Blunstone

What a great idea: take a rock and roll documentary film on the road to various music venues, and add a live performance to the fun. That's what film director and musician Robert Schwartzman has done with Hung Up On A Dream, his documentary about The Zombies. I suppose playing the film at these venues all but guarantees enthusiastic crowds. Music crowds. Rock and roll crowds. And with Colin Blunstone, lead singer of The Zombies, performing, it was certain those crowds would be pleased. The tour started in New York, at the Gramercy Theatre, and moved to several other cities including Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. It wrapped up last night at The Bellwether in downtown Los Angeles. The evening included a screening of the film, a concert performance by Robert Schwartzman's band Rooney, a special performance by Colin Blunstone backed by Rooney, and a Q&A with Schwartzman and Blunstone. A wonderful time, indeed!

The Zombies are known for huge hits like "Tell Her No," "She's Not There" and "Time Of The Season." One of the great bands of the 1960s, The Zombies seemed to end prematurely, disbanding even before their fantastic Odessey And Oracle album hit the stores. But they have had a second life in recent years, and their latest album, 2023's Different Game, features some spectacular work. It's a band whose story certainly needed to be told, and this documentary film is a joy to watch. Featuring interviews with the four surviving members - Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent, Chris White and Hugh Grundy - as well some pretty astounding archival footage, this movie takes us on an enjoyable ride through the history of the band. When introducing the film, Robert Schwartzman expressed what a big fan he is of The Zombies, and the film is clearly made with affection. The band's members are funny and endearing, and the audience quickly comes to share the filmmaker's affection for them as people (we already loved them as musicians and songwriters). They themselves even mention how there wasn't really any animosity among them. They certainly were taken advantage of, and not paid what they should have been paid, and there is a sense of some opportunities lost, but they aren't musicians with an axe to grind. And so it feels like exactly the sort of movie we need these days. Plus, it contains some wild and entertaining stories, such as the story of their song "She's Not There" and the whole Philippines adventure. And the film includes fascinating details about the recording of Odessey And Oracle (including, yes, the spelling of its title). The film goes beyond those initial years of The Zombies, getting into Argent and the jobs the other band members had, as well as their reunions and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. It's an excellent documentary that leaves you feeling good.

Fifteen minutes after the film ended, Robert was back on stage, this time with his guitar and Rooney band mates for a short set before bringing out Colin Blunstone. The trio opened with "Blueside," the lead track from the band's 2003 self-titled debut. Robert then mentioned how Rooney got the opportunity to open for Electric Light Orchestra at the Forum. This was the ELO farewell tour, while Colin Blunstone opened for ELO on that band's first tour, an interesting little connection the two musicians had. Rooney then played "If It Were Up To Me," also from that self-titled album, and wrapped up with "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" from Calling The World. "Love don't come so easily/This doesn't have to end in tragedy." Robert introduced Colin Blunstone, and the band went into "Tell Her No," which sounded great. The crowd was on its feet, caught up in the joy of the moment. But it was during the next song, "She's Not There," when we all realized just how great Colin's voice still is. He delivered an absolutely fantastic rendition of that song, then followed it with a beautiful rendition of "This Will Be Our Year," a song written by Chris White and included on Odessey And Oracle. There was some stage banter about how Colin rarely plays guitar, and then Colin introduced "Caroline Goodbye" as "a tale of teenage angst and Zombie brokenheartedness," and joked about how it was a mistake to use the woman's actual name. Robert introduced "Hung Up On A Dream," saying it was the only possible title for the documentary. Colin then asked Robert, "Are we on the last song?" He joked about counting never being his strong suit, a playful reference to something from the film. And he asked for the crowd's help on the final song, "Time Of The Season," the audience happily obliging. This song featured some great stuff on keyboard. It was such a treat getting to see Colin Blunstone perform. The set ended at 9:50 p.m.

Just a few minutes later Nic Harcourt (from KCSN) came out to moderate the Q&A, first delivering a brief plea to the crowd to support public radio. During the Q&A, Robert talked about why he chose The Zombies as his documentary subject, about how the band was different from other bands of that time. He also talked about the archival footage, revealing that some of the best stuff, such as footage of a party the band played at, came from Chris White. Colin indicated that the party in question was Chris White's twenty-first birthday party. Robert asked Colin to tell the story of a certain hotel bed. Robert then joked, "Most bands will destroy a hotel room, but they're the band that fixes a hotel room." And just before the end, Colin revealed that there are new songs in the works, which is excellent news for music fans. The Q&A concluded at 10:29. If you were not able to attend one of these incredibly special screenings, you can still catch the documentary. It will begin streaming on July 22nd.

Set List

Rooney

1. Blueside
2. If It Were Up To Me
3. When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

Colin Blunstone with Rooney

1. Tell Her No
2. She's Not There
3. This Will Be Our Year
4. Caroline Goodbye
5. Hung Up On A Dream
6. Time Of The Season

The Bellwether is located at 333 S. Boylston St. in Los Angeles, California.